The AAO Foundation named its James L Vaden Teaching Fellowship Award in honor of his contributions as an orthodontist and educator.
The AAO Foundation announced that it was naming its teaching fellowship after James Vaden, DDS, MS, PC, during the Southern Association of Orthodontists 2021 meeting and centennial celebration.
The James L. Vaden Teaching Fellowship Award recognizes Vaden’s contributions to orthodontic education throughout his career.
Vaden has been a practicing orthodontist in Cookeville, Tenn, since graduating from the University of Tennessee orthodontic residency program in 1972.
He joined the UT faculty as a clinical professor in 1980 and from 1999 to 2010 served as the chairman of the university’s orthodontic program.
Vaden developed a plan for an updated clinical facility and helped generate $800,000 in donations to support the upgrade. The James L. Vaden Orthodontic Clinic was completed and dedicated in 2013.
Vaden is also a past president of the American Board of Orthodontics and a past Commission on Dental Accreditation commissioner for orthodontics. He served as Doctors Scientific Program co-chair of the 2017 and 2020 AAO Annual Sessions.
Since 1994, the AAO Foundation has provided $14.6 million in support of orthodontic educators.
Photo courtesy AAO
